Spring-wheel.



E. N. am. SPRING WHEEL,-

APILIOATION FILED 00T. 26, 1907.

` 934,1 591, Patented sept.' 14,1909.

W/TNESSES` W ff FRED NEWTON GIBB, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.`

Patented Sept. Il, i902).

Application filed Qctober 26, 1907. Serial No. 399,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDN. Ginn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Little Rock, 'in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas,- have invented a new and Improved Spring-lVheel, of which the fol# lowing is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to vehicle wheels, and more especially wheels of the type known as Spring Wheels and is especially use` ful in connection with automobiles, motor trucks and the like.l Y

The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle wheel having resilient means for absorbing shocks from the irregularities of the road, and thus obviate the use of the pneumatic tire and the objections incident to such use.

Theinvention consists in the construction and combination of :irte tobe more particularly described herelnafter and particularly set forth in the claims.-.

Reference is to. be had to the accompanyv ing drawings formin a part of this specification, ,in which simi ar characters of refers ence indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures, in which- Figure 1-isl a sidevelevation of the device showing part' in section; and Fig. 2 is-a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1,. and Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of one of the supports.

Before proceeding to a more detailed des scription of my invention, it should be understood that my device obviates the lnecessity lof using pneumatic tires on vehicles and thereby decreases many of the difficulties so common to that type of tire. In general my spring wheel includes an outer and'inner rim with resilient. means therebetween for absorbing the shocks caused by the irregularities ofthe road. A rubber tread of any common or preferred form is attached to the outer rim, for increasing the tractive elficiency on roads and pavements and also greatly increasing the resiliency.

, Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the rubber tread, of common or preferred form, lof the Vehicle wheel and which bears suitable annular ribs on its lateral faces'by means of which it may be` securel mounted upon a base plate 2, having a 'su-ita ly disposed liange 3, which engages the annular r1b`` on *one face of the rubber tread. A lateral web 4,' integral with the base plate and hatviiig a portion bent to form a channel or groove 5, for a purpose to be hereinafter described, extends around the wheel. A further lateral iiange 7, on the opposite side of the base plate from the flange 3 and lying in a plane substantially parallel to that of the .flange 3, extends around the Wheel in a similar manner. li-emovably attachedto the flange? in a'ny suitable manner, for-instance by means of bolts l1, as is shown in Fig. 2, is a side plate 8. The outer rim 9 of the plate 8 is formed similar to the flange 3 and engages the rib p on the 'rubber tread to secure the latter in rigid position. The inner rim of the sidel memberis formed into a groove 10, similarto that of the groove 5 on the opposite side of the wheel. v l

The spokes 12 of the Wheel carry a rim 13, in .any suitable manner. rim by means of bolts or 'screws 24 which may be of any suitable type is an annulai- Mounted on the channel member 18, consisting of a base 14 f and substantially paralle1 sidesv 15. The grooves l0 and 5 serve to contain packing material 6, such as felt, cotton waste, leather, composition packing or the like, which engages 'the sides l5 and prevents the entrance of water, dirt or other foreign substances liable to' interfere with the operation of the device. Mounted'between these sides 15 and abutting thereagainst are supports 16', for springs or other resilient connecting means' between the rims. Rectangular keys l17,'atv

the opposite` ends of the spring supports are mounted in openings 18 of the sides and secure the spring supports rigidly in posi-` tion.l The spring supports have longitudinal slots 19 extending nearly to the ends thereof and for a purpose to be hereinafter stated.

'Mounted upon the inner face of the base between the sides thereof, are

plate 2, an

springs 20. These springs may be secured to the base plate at any suitable number of points by means of rivets or bolts 23. The end portions 21 of the springs are formed into inwardly disposed coils, the extremities 22 of which are secured to adjacent spring supports 1.6, by being arranged in the slots 19. v

It will be understood that the springs absorb the shocks at the rim of the wheel, by

resiliently resisting the movement of the Outenrim of the wheel relative to the inner rim; The springs hold the parts normally in their proper psition. Furthermore, the

springs Vpermit a certain peripheral movel. Avehicle wheelcomprising. anl outer Y and an inner rim, one'of said rlms having substantially parallel sides supports mounted between said sides, sai supports havingslots therein, keys on lthe endsof said supports, said sides having openings adapted to I y receive saidkeys and holding said supports'` against rotation, resilient connecting means securedl in the, slots in said supports, an'

`mounted between said outer and said inner rim, the ends of said resilient member bein means forsecuring said resilient-means to said other rim.

v 2. 'A vehicle wheel, comprising an outer fand an inner rim, said inner rim -havnglatf erally. erxtended sid es,'supp'orts mounted be# tween said sides', means for securing 'saidsupports against rotation, and resilient con# necting'means mounted between said outer land said inner rim,`the ends of said resilient means being securedj to said spring supports.

3. A vehicle wheel, comprising an outer and an'inner rim,said inner rim having subv ,stantlally parallel sides, supports 'mounted j between said .'si`de's, said supports having s lots therein, keys on ,the ends of said supports, said sides having openings adaptedtol receivefsaid' keys and holding said supports against rotation, resilient connectin means mounted between said outer and sai inner rim, the ends of'saidresillent means being secured. in the .slotsin said supports, 4

andfmeans for securing said resilientmeans to'said outer rim. i v

4.' A. vehicle wheel, com risingan outer. and an inner rim, removabe'means for securing a,l rubbertread in position upon said outer rim, said inner rim having substantially 'parallel sides, supports mounted be,n tween said sides, keys at theends of 'said supports, said sides having openings adapted to receive said keys and secure" saidfsppports agiainst rotation, said supports haneng longitu inal openings therethrough, sprmgs mounted between said outer and inner rim, vthe ends ofsaid springs being adaptedto be securely mounted i-n said yopenings of said supports, and means for securing said points. p n p Iny testimony. whereof have slgned my name to this specicationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

l FRED NEW'roNGInB. i Witnesses:

- THEO. M. SANDERS,

T. W; HoLs'ron. v

springs to lsaid youter rim at a.v plurality of 

